Saviour
by SeraphimHelix
Summary: Destiel hs AU. The bullied, lanky, long-haired Castiel meets his new neighbor who changes his life for the better.
1. Chapter 1

_Humans are despicable,_ Castiel thought as he read through the disturbing pages of the novel "Lord of the Flies." Castiel had experienced human cruelty first hand. A victim of bullying, he could not get through a single day without being beaten to a pulp. It had started as a sudden thing, really. He had never drawn much attention to himself. He usually just remained in the background with his long, khaki trench coat, comfortable ripped jeans, and a book in his hand. But, when Castiel befriended a boy named Crowley, things changed for the worse. Crowley was a total badass, a trait Cas admired. He had a sort of dark aura to him and constantly wore well-tailored black clothes. Crowley had been getting along pretty well at school. He wasn't what you would call a social butterfly, but he certainly wasn't as invisible as Castiel.

They had met in the school cafeteria. Castiel was sitting alone as usual, his head buried in a book, occasionally taking a bite or two of the food on his tray. As Crowley walked by Castiel's table, their eyes met momentarily. Appearance-wise, Castiel could be described as nothing other than beautiful. He had decided to grow out his hair that year and the long black strands around his face contrasted his blue eyes immensely. Castiel had a thin frame from not being involved in any sort of athletic activities. Between this, his long hair, and his delicate features, he received a lot of taunting referring to him looking feminine.

Crowley stopped right beside Castiel's table with a contemplating expression. After a moment or two, he quickly smirked, shrugged, and took a seat in front of Castiel.

Castiel fidgeted shyly, fiddling with his long hair. "Hello, Crowley."

His knowledge of who he was seemed to delight Crowley. "Hey, Cas." He drawled in his British accent which made Castiel flinch. He'd never heard Crowley speak before. He'd only seen him around the halls.

"Why are you..." Castiel folded the corner of his paper and set his book in front of him, with nervous, trembling hands. "Um, why-"

"Why am I sitting with you?" Crowley finished for him, a wide grin spreading across his lips.

Castiel nodded vigorously in reply.

"You know, I've heard about you but I haven't been able to see you with the whole grade difference." It was true. Crowley was a senior and Castiel was a sophomore so it was unlikely they'd ever get the chance to meet through classes. "'Pretty boy Cassie' they call you."

"They call me worse things than that." said Castiel, not meeting Crowley's gaze.

"They do?" Crowley smiled, boldly snatching a plastic spoon full of mashed potatoes off Castiel's tray. "Like what?"

"Tranny, Cassandra..." Castiel trailed off. "Lot's of things. Not that often though."

Crowley licked the mashed potatoes off the spoon, giving Castiel a lengthy stare out of the corner of his eye. "What would you like me to call you, love?"

"Cas is fine." Castiel muttered, the sides of his face reddening. "Are you..." He began, embarrassed at actually verbalizing this. "are you flirting with me?"

Crowley snickered. "You catch on quick."

Castiel's blue eyes widened. "You know that I'm-? I mean, I-" He fumbled his book and frantically got out of his seat, the metal legs of the chair scraping the floor noisily. "I have to go."

Crowley got up from his chair and stood in front of Castiel in one swift motion. "Slow down there," He blocked Castiel from getting away. "Yeah, I know you're gay, Cas. So am I."

Castiel frowned, trying to retreat from Crowley backward but the other boy grabbed his arm, disabling his escape. "You can't tell people that, okay?" He whispered aggressively.

"I won't, I won't." He held up his hands in surrender.

Castiel paused for a moment and then looked back at Crowley, an innocent expression on his face. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now," The corners of Crowley's lips tilted upward. "How about we hang out a bit after school?"

Crowley's car was the place Castiel received his first kiss. They had just driven to a convenience store and Crowley had picked up a pack of cigarettes. He had offered Castiel one, but he politely declined.

"Suit yourself." Crowley tipped his head back, blowing white smoke out of his mouth.

Cas sat awkwardly in the carseat, his hands folded on his lap. He had no idea what to do. He'd never been put in a situation like this before.

Crowley broke the silence. "You ever have a boyfriend before?"

Castiel shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Crowley held his cigarette out the window, tapping the excess ash off. "You want one?"

"I suppose I'd..." Castiel broke off. He didn't know how to act in Crowley's presence. He never told anyone of his sexuality so these kind of circumstances never happened.

Crowley tilted his head at Castiel. "Does that mean you've never been with anyone?"

Castiel reluctantly nodded.

"Never even a kiss?"

"No."

"Well," That sly smile made it's way across Crowley's lips once again. "We'll just have to change that, won't we?"

Castiel turned to face Crowley, placed his hands on the edge of his seat and closed his eyes. Crowley snickered at Castiel's preparation. He was just too adorably innocent.

"I'm ready." Castiel said, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Crowley gently swept Castiel's hair from his face with his long, slender fingers. The space between them grew smaller and smaller until their lips were merely an inch apart. Crowley slid one hand on the back of Castiel's head, caressing his neck and the other on his slim waist. Their lips met and Castiel's heart skipped a beat. He found his arms unconsciously moving to Crowley's body in order to bring him closer. Castiel deftly hopped over the gap between the seats and sat sideways on Crowley's lap. The further closeness deepened their kiss and Castiel truly did not want that moment to end.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were panting for air. "That was amazing." Castiel whispered.

Crowley let out a breathy laugh. "You're quite a good kisser, love."

At this point, Castiel had felt incredible. He had a new boyfriend who was incredibly attractive and whom he cared about very dearly. But, in his school homosexuality wasn't something that was so easily accepted. And Crowley, being so daring, was not afraid to challenge that.

"Give me your hand." Crowley said to Castiel as they stood at the end of the hall.

It was clear from Castiel's expression that this terrified him. People already teased him for looking feminine so holding hands with his boyfriend that no one knew about would not help him to fit in. "Not here." And then something even more frightening caught his eye. Azazel and Alastair were at the other end of the hall, walking with overly smug smiles on their faces.

Crowley noticed what Castiel was staring at. "Them? That's what you're afraid of?"

"They could ruin everything. You don't understand-"

"Fuck what they think." Crowley intertwined his fingers with Castiel's. "You're my boyfriend and I'm not ashamed of that."

Crowley made confident strides down the shiny tile floor as Castiel nervously tagged along, being pulled by his boyfriend's grip on his hand.

Just as they walked by Alastair, Azazel said something to grab his attention. And they made it past them. Castiel breathed a sigh of relief from going undetected.

Alastair frowned. He wasn't sure what he had just seen out of the corner of his eye but they definitely weren't already gone. Doing a double-take he got a full view of the couple, walking hand in hand.

"Whoa hold on there, Cassie." Alastair grabbed onto Castiel's shoulder. "You didn't tell me you had a _boyfriend_."

Castiel tried to move away but Alastair's grip was too strong. He was much taller than him and far more athletic.

"Well, we always knew you were a girl," Azazel joined in, taunting Castiel by flicking his long hair. "It's only fitting that you've got yourself a boyfriend."

Crowley smiled sarcastically at the two. "I'd love to stay and chat, but we have to get to class."

"Oh, no problem. We can have a long talk after school." Alastair motioned for Azazel to follow him as they snickered maliciously.

And from that day onwards, Castiel's life had been a living hell. By the end of that school day, Alastair and Azazel had managed to spread the news of Castiel's and Crowley's relationship throughout the school. People had laughed at them and girls had made mocking kissing faces at them. They had been greeted with a severe beating from Alastair and Azazel in the parking lot.

The bullying only got worse. It was the same drill every day and by the time Castiel got home, he was usually in tears. Eventually, it was too much for Crowley. His parents found out what was going on. Crowley switched schools. Castiel didn't.

It was several months now since Crowley left and Castiel hadn't heard a word from him. He supposed they were no longer together. But at least it was summer now and Castiel didn't have to worry about running into Azazel or Alastair.

A sudden loud noise alerted Castiel and he nearly fell from the limb of the tree he was balancing on. His book fell down from the height and landed on the soft bed of grass underneath. Castiel cursed under his breath as he made his way down the branches. His feet hit the grass with a thud and he picked his book up, dusting it off. Peering around the corner, he found the culprit of this loud noise. It was a moving truck. The house across from Castiel's had been sold a few weeks ago. A jeep trailed behind the van and crossed behind it, into the driveway. As the car door opened, Castiel let out an involuntary gasp.

Out stepped a tall, muscular boy about Castiel's age. He had short spiky dirty blond hair, tanned skin and wore ripped jeans, a gray tee shirt and combat boots.

To Castiel, he was beautiful. Possibly even more beautiful than Crowley.

_No_, Castiel told himself, _you can't let this happen again. You're just looking for trouble._

The boy across the street caught Castiel staring at him and gave him a wide smile. Red flushed through Castiel's face as he clutched his book to his chest and ran inside his house.

He slammed the door behind him and leaned his back against it for support.

"Everything alright, little bro?" Castiel's older brother Gabriel gave him a playful push. Gabriel was staying at home this summer since he was a rising sophomore in college.

"Yeah." Castiel replied all too quickly. Gabriel didn't seem convinced.

He smiled knowingly and tilted Castiel's chin upward as if he was a little child. "You're blushing. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me!" Gabriel joked, giggling at his little brother.

"It's nothing." Castiel insisted, becoming more and more embarrassed.

"You met a girl, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't." It was the truth, though.

"Come on, no one just starts blushing like that."

Castiel's family had never been informed of the bullying that had gone on last year. He had done a good job of hiding it. And to them, Crowley was just one of Castiel's old friends. It hurt him a little not to tell his Gabriel the truth. Every time he teased him about a girl checking him out, it made Castiel cringe. He wanted to tell Gabriel so badly.

The doorbell rang and the brothers frowned at one another. Castiel moved away from the door and swung it open.

In the doorway stood the boy from across the street. One hand was clasped over his palm.

"Hi." Castiel's voice came out nearly as a whisper.

"Hey," He tilted his head up acknowledging Gabriel. "I'm Dean. We're moving into the house across from you guys and I just sliced my hand on a metal table I was lifting. Would you have any bandages?"

"Yeah, no problem. Cas," Gabriel nudged his brother. "Go help Dean in the kitchen"

Castiel's eyes widened. "Um-"

"Awesome, thanks man." Dean stepped through the door.

"I'll be upstairs if you guys need me." Gabriel lightly jogged up the wooden stairs.

_Oh God,_ Castiel thought to himself, _I'm going to be in a room with him. Alone._

Up close, Dean was even more beautiful. His eyes were an incredible mixture of green and gold, and freckles decorated his sun-kissed skin. Castiel couldn't take his eyes off of Dean's soft pursed lips which made him want to just grab his face and make out with him right there.

They entered the kitchen together and Dean made his way over to the sink. The water trickled down his palm as it rinsed the blood from his wound.

"This cut is kinda deep." He winced. "You got any peroxide?"

"Y-Yeah." Castiel muttered, grabbing the brown bottle from the cabinet. He took a roll of bandages along with it.

"Thanks," Dean said as he took the bottle from Castiel.

He splashed a bit of it on his cut with his teeth clenched tightly.

"Here." Castiel patted a paper towel on Dean's hand. He then placed some gauze along the cut and wrapped it securely.

Now that they were finished, Castiel didn't know what to say. He felt so intimidated that all he could do was stare at the boy in front of him.

Dean smiled at him knowingly. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" Castiel took a step back defensively.

"Like you..." Dean searched for the words. He smirked, playing with the end of his shirt and lifting it up slightly over his tummy. "Like you want to see more."

"I don't-" Castiel shook his head. "I'm not-"

"Oh, shut up." Dean grabbed Castiel's shoulders and slammed his back against the refrigerator door. "I could smell the gay on you."

Dean lifted his gray t-shirt over his head as Castiel stood against the stainless steel door, terrified. Castiel eyed Dean's bare chest. His muscles glistened with sweat from his recent work outdoors. Before Castiel knew it, Dean was close to him again, running his hands along Castiel's waist and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Dean ground his hips against Castiel's, their jeans brushing together. Castiel let out a small whimper.

"What did you say your name was, sweetheart?" Dean whispered into Castiel's ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"C-Cas." He said quietly.

"Cas!" Gabriel's voice came from the hallway.

Castiel pushed Dean off of him and stood awkwardly with his arms door opened and trailing behind Gabriel was a small boy with long brown hair.

"This is Dean's brother, Sam. He just wanted to check up on-" He stopped when he noticed Dean's lack of clothing. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Hot flashes," He grinned sarcastically. "I've got the menopause. Come on, Sammy."

Sam followed his brother without a word. "See ya, Cas." Dean winked at him.

"See ya."

Just like that, Dean was gone. And Castiel could not stop thinking about him.

The next morning, Castiel lay in bed, his hands folded on his stomach. He had tried to read after he'd woken up but his mind kept drifting. Suddenly, the doorbell rang making Cas flinch in surprise. Gabriel was probably still asleep. He was a heavy sleeper and since it was summer now, he would not give up an opportunity to sleep in. Castiel lazily got out of bed and made his way downstairs and to the front door. The door opened to reveal a stunning middle-aged blonde woman standing on the other side. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave Castiel a wide smile.

"You must be Cas. I'm Dean's mother." She held out her hand and Castiel shook it politely. "Thank you so much for taking care of my son yesterday."

"No, problem at all, Mrs..."

"Winchester."

"Mrs. Winchester." Cas repeated. This woman hadn't said much but she was already making Castiel smile ear to ear. She just had a certain aura to her that exuded happiness.

"Anyway," She continued. "I came here to invite you and your family to dinner at our house tonight. Are your mother and father home?'"

Castiel hated when people asked him about his parents because then he had to tell them the whole story. It made things complicated and the other person always felt uncomfortable. He reluctantly replied. "My father died when I was only one year old," Mrs. Winchester gasped and held a hand over her heart. "And my mother is on vacation right now. It's just Gabriel, my older brother, and I."

Castiel had never really met his father. Gabriel told him stories about him but obviously it just wasn't the same. Gabriel had always told Castiel that their father's death changed their mother. She used to be carefree and happy, but after he died she became absent and didn't pay attention to her two sons. And now that it was summer, she was off with some friends on a road trip with Castiel and Gabriel alone in the house. Castiel didn't mind it too much, though. Him and his brother were extremely close and he couldn't think of another person in the world he cared about more.

"I'm so sorry about your father, Cas." Mrs. Winchester said sympathetically.

"Don't worry about it." He replied. Mrs. Winchester straightened out the pleats on her summery skirt and raised her eyebrows at Castiel as if to ask him if he was able to come to the dinner tonight. "Yeah, but the dinner, I'd love to go. I'll tell Gabriel when he wakes up."

"Wonderful." She turned around and walked down the steps of the patio. "Bye, Cas!"

"Bye, Mrs. Winchester." He shut the door and ran upstairs to his room.

He had to get ready for tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel ran his fingers nervously through his gelled hair. Gabriel had suggested to style it like this because it made him look more sophisticated. In Cas' opinion, it just made him look like Loki from the Avengers. He let out a sigh and met his brother at the front door. Gabriel was dressed in a crisply ironed white shirt and black pants. His leather shoes were shined so well, Cas could nearly see himself in them.

"You're seriously not wearing that thing, are you?" Gabriel asked, referring to Castiel's trenchcoat.

"I like it," He swayed side to side, the coat moving with him. "It's comfortable."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Alright, little bro, let's go."

They walked across the street, Gabriel's fancy heeled shoes clacking on the ground and Castiel's converse making a small patting noise behind. The two brothers reached the door and Gabriel rang the doorbell. Dean's little brother answered.

"Hi guys, come in." He welcomed them politely.

"Thanks, Sam?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you remembered." He smiled.

"Sammy are they here?!" Dean's voice faintly called from upstairs.

"Yeah, so you can stop dolling yourself up!" Sam shouted back. "He's been getting ready for this all day," He muttered to Cas and Gabriel. "He's so weird."

"Cas!" Mrs. Winchester ran to them. "So nice to see you." She shook the older brother's hand. " And you must be Gabriel."

"Yep." He winked at her.

"Come into the kitchen, you guys, the dinner's ready." She turned her head back to the stairs. "Dean come down already! Your friends are here!"

Castiel stepped through the kitchen doors and the aroma of delicious food filled his nose. For a minute, he stopped worrying about seeing Dean again.

But, right one queue, Dean entered through the other door. His hair was carefully spiked up and his shirt was just a button too low. His pants hung loosely on his waist and brushed against the floor and his bare feet. He gave Castiel a seductive gaze through gorgeous green eyes. "Hey, Cas."

Castiel could feel his cheeks heating up. "H-hello, Dean."

"Come sit down, everyone." A man said from the table. Castiel just noticed him now. He had black hair and stubble and his facial structure vaguely resembled Sam and Dean's.

"Thank you, Mr. Winchester." Castiel replied politely and took a seat.

The man smiled at him. "You're welcome, young man."

Sam tried to sit beside Cas but Dean grabbed his shoulder before he could get into the chair. "Go sit over there, Sammy." Dean whispered.

"So weird..." Sam muttered, rolling his eyes.

Dean got in the seat next to Cas and as he scooted it in, he pushed it purposely closer to Cas. Mrs. Winchester walked around the table with a pitcher of water, filling their glasses. They all thanked her individually and she sat down next to her husband.

"Dig in, everyone."

They all took their share of the food in the center of the table. Castiel savored the amazing taste of the steak and mashed potatoes prepared by Dean's mother. He hadn't tasted something this delicious in ages.

"So, Gabriel," Mrs. Winchester began. "What college do you go to?"

"Harvard," He said, scooping up some vegetables on his fork. "I'm studying law."

"What a coincidence!" She beamed. "Our little Sammy wants to do just the same."

"Well, it's hard work," He said to Sam. "But you can get there."

Castiel flinched._ Is that Dean's hand on my leg?_ He glanced at his lap. _That is definitely Dean's hand on my leg._

It started on his knee but it slowly moved higher and higher. It was like something from a movie. Castiel would have been annoyed by how cliche it was if he wasn't too busy freaking out about how close Dean's hand was to his crotch. The tips of Dean's finger touched the zipper of his pants and Castiel stood up abruptly. "Um," He started. "Wh-" They all looked up at him expectantly. "Uh, where is the bathroom?"

"I'll show him where it is." Dean volunteered.

"Thank you, Dean." said Mrs. Winchester.

_Oh God._

"This way, Cas." Dean motioned for him to follow.

They traveled up the stairs and down the hall to a small, mostly light blue bathroom. "Now," Dean pushed Castiel inside and shut the door behind them. "I've been waiting all day for this."

He grabbed Castiel's hips but the other boy pushed him off. _No,_ Castiel thought, _I'm not going to let him dominate me like this._

"I'm not your plaything." Cas growled and slammed Dean against the white bathroom door. "Tonight, you're my little bitch."

Dean laughed under his breath. "That's more like it."

Cas' lips crashed against Dean's as their hands moved around one another's bodies. Dean ruffled Castiel's hair making it fall out of place. Castiel unbuttoned Dean's shirt to reveal his incredibly toned chest.

"Couldn't stop thinking about it, could you?" Dean whispered against Castiel's neck.

Castiel pulled off his trench coat, laying it haphazardly on the tile floor, and resumed kissing Dean. "Nope." He breathed against his lips.  
Dean's hands moved for the button of Castiel's pants but Cas shooed him away. "No," He said between kisses. "No time."

Dean's hands moved upward instead, for Castiel's shirt. His torso was so skinny and frail next to Dean's. Once his white shirt dropped to the floor, Castiel felt a little embarrassed. Dean could sense his insecurity and pulled Castiel's ear close to his mouth. "Damn," He whispered. "You should walk around like that more often."

With newfound confidence, Castiel ground Dean against the door. Dean let out a small moan before they both fell backwards onto the floor. Someone had opened the door. Castiel was too scared to even look up to see who it was.

"Dad," Dean's expression changed completely, his eyes wide with fear.

"Your mother told me to come check on you. We heard some loud noises from downstairs."

Castiel looked up. Mr. Winchester looked anything but happy. He slowly stood up and picked their clothes off the bathroom door. "Sorry, Mr. Winchester, we were just..." He tossed Dean's shirt to him and Dean put his arms through the sleeves.

"Now, I don't think there is really any good explanation for..." He shook his head, disgusted. "This."

"I'm sorry." Castiel apologized again, pulling on his shirt.

"Cas, I think it'd be best if you and your brother left."

"No," Dean protested. "Dad, he didn't do anything wrong. I was the one-"

"Oh, I'm sure you were the one, Dean." He narrowed his eyes at his son.

"That's okay." Castiel grabbed his trench coat and started for the stairs. "I'll go."

"Cas-" Dean began.

"Let him go, son."

Castiel entered the kitchen solemnly.

"What happened?" Mrs. Winchester went to Castiel, smoothing out his messy hair. "Are you alright?"

"Dean and I," He looked down to the floor. "We got in a fight. I'm sorry. Gabriel, I think we should go."

"A fight?" She gazed at his disheveled clothes. "I thought you two were getting along well."  
"We had a disagreement." He tried again, backing up closer to the hallway. "Gabriel, let's go."

Gabriel shook his head at Castiel disapprovingly. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Winchester. Kids can be so immature sometimes."

"It's no problem at all." She assured him. "When Dean and Cas make up, I hope you two will come back soon."

"We will, thank you." Gabriel gave Cas a small shove out the front door.

"I'm sorry, Gabriel." Castiel said quietly as they walked across the street to their home.

"We'll talk about it when we get back home." Gabriel replied with finality.

In the kitchen, Gabriel rummaged through the freezer until finally he found a tub of chocolate icecream. Castiel watched him nervously from a barstool on the opposite side of the counter. Was he going to yell at him? Was he going to leave him alone?

Two bowls and spoons clanked on the granite as Gabriel set them down and put two scoops into each bowl. "Here." He slid one to Cas.

"Thanks." He tentatively started eating.

"You know, Cas, you're not going to agree with everyone in this life. There will be ups and downs in friendships and some people will be so opposite to you that you won't want to speak to them at all. But, there's no excuse for fighting. Getting aggressive doesn't make you strong, it doesn't make you more powerful and it definitely does not make you the better person." He paused and put a spoonful of icecream in his mouth. "I just want you to realize that it takes more courage to walk away from a fight than to start one."

Castiel couldn't even look his brother in the eye. Gabriel had no idea what had happened at all. Would he still be giving Cas this gentle speech if he had known what he really did? Castiel felt a stinging in his eyes and bit his lip to hold the tears back. However, it had been a hard night- in fact, a hard year- and he couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. Tears flowed over his eyes and trickled down to his cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry. I'm not mad." Gabriel walked around to the other side of the counter and put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Would you love me no matter what I did and what decisions I make?" Castiel choked out. "Even if I wasn't who you thought I was. Even if I lied to you."

"Little bro, look at me." Castiel lifted his head up to meet his brother's eyes as Gabriel wiped the tears from his cheeks. "There is only one thing I want you to be. I only want you to be happy. You don't remember Dad, and Mom's not really around, but you'll always have me. Even if you make mistakes, we'll fix them, and we'll start over again. Nobody's perfect so I'm not expecting you to be either."

Castiel threw his arms around his older brother's waist and buried his head in his chest. Gabriel returned the hug and kissed Castiel's head of messy long hair. "Stop crying now, okay? It's alright."  
Cas nodded and pulled away, wiping his face.

"So," Gabriel began, trying to change the subject. "My birthday's tomorrow. What do you want to do?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?'"  
Gabriel smiled. "Nah, you decide."

"Do you want a party?"

He shook his head and walked over to the connected living room, plopping himself on the couch. "I don't like formal events where everyone's there for me. Makes me uncomfortable. I'd prefer to just go somewhere with you."

Castiel thought for a minute. "We could hang out by the pier and bring cake and some stuff to eat. And after we're done we can do some fishing."

"Sounds great, little bro."

"Good," Castiel smiled. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Night."

/

As Castiel woke up, one thing crossed his mind immediately:_ I have to fix things with Dean._ Mrs. Winchester probably still thought the two of them had a fight and Mr. Winchester was probably waiting for him on the front porch with a shotgun. Castiel sighed, running his fingers through his hair. It didn't matter what happened. He had to fix this. He was starting to have feelings for Dean after all, even though both of them might have come on a little too strong.

He hopped out of bed and pulled on a pair of ripped jeans followed by a loose, black t-shirt. His hair was still a mess from not washing it last night so he pulled it back to make a small ponytail. Standing in front of his full-length mirror, he took a few deep breaths. _I can do this. I have to do this._

He slipped on his converse and ran down the stairs to the front door. Gabriel was in the kitchen, making breakfast, Cas presumed from all the clanking of dishes. He unlatched the door and opened it, sending a summer breeze through the hallway.

"Cas, where are you going?!" Gabriel yelled from the kitchen.

"To apologize to Dean's family."

"Good."

He bounced down the concrete steps and made his way over to Dean's house. It didn't take more than a few seconds for Mrs. Winchester to answer the door.

She greeted Cas with her sweet smile as she tucked her golden hair behind her ear. "Cas, I'm glad to see you again."

"You too." He returned a smile.

"Come in," She gestured inside. "I'd like to talk to you."

_Oh God, that can't be good._

"What is it?" He looked up expectantly.

"My husband told me what happened last night, sweetie. What really happened." _Shit_. "And I want you to know that I've spoken to Dean about this and I am completely supportive of his sexuality." _Wait, what?_ "I could see you're not ready to come out to your brother yet and that's absolutely fine. You can date my son with my complete approval and I won't say a word to Gabriel or my husband."

"Thank you," said Castiel, disbelievingly. "Is Mr. Winchester home right now?"

"No, he's out playing golf with a few of his friends." She winked. "So nothing to worry about. Dean is upstairs if you wanted to see him."

Okay, this woman had to be the sweetest, most understanding person Cas had ever met. Her son just had a heated make out session with a boy in her bathroom last night and she didn't even mind. Cas hoped Gabriel would be this supportive when he came out to him.

"Thank you for everything." He beamed as he made his way up the stairs.

"You're welcome, sweetie."

He walked down the hall until he saw a door slightly ajar with Dean's name carved into it. Castiel laughed under his breath. Dean had just moved into this house and he had already branded his name on it.

"Hey," He said quietly, gently knocking on the door. With the last knock, he pushed it open.

Dean lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Boxes were piled around the room from the recent move and both his windows were open.

Dean frowned, turning his head. "Cas?" He scrambled off the bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I think we started off on the wrong foot." He said simply.

"Huh?"

"I mean that pushing and grinding each other against walls wasn't the way we should have started this." He stepped over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Dean's blankets were in a total mess with his sheets half falling on the floor; just like Castiel expected.

"Yeah, you're right," Dean sat beside him. "Did you talk to my mom?"

"Yes, and she gave the Ok for me to date you."

Dean let out a small laugh. "Do you want to?"

"Of course," He intertwined their fingers. "But I want to know you better. You're beautiful but I don't know anything about you."

"Same to you. I want to know what makes Cas Cas. What's your favorite thing to do?"

Castiel looked away shyly and Dean gave him a loving smile. "Reading, I suppose. And you?"

"Kickboxing. I used to train all the time in my old town but I still haven't found a place here yet."

"Oh."

There was a silence and their eyes met. Dean glanced at Castiel's lips, not with lust, but with a sweet longing for the boy in front of him. Castiel's mouth quivered into a small smile as he let go of Dean's hand. They both leaned forward an equal distance until their lips met into a gentle kiss. It was different than last night. There was no aggression or forcefulness. It was soft. And for a moment Castiel forget about his negligent mother and the bullies at his school and all the troubles that engulfed his life.

They broke apart and Castiel rested his forehead on Dean's collarbone, his lips pressed to his chest. Dean's arms moved automatically around Castiel protectively. They stayed there listening to each other's breaths and feeling their hearts beat.

"So does this make you my boyfriend now?" Castiel breathed against Dean's chest.

Dean laughed heartily, moving Cas with his laughter. "If you want me to be."

Castiel looked up into Dean's emerald green eyes. "Nothing would make me happier."

/

Castiel and Gabriel sat on the edge of the pier, staring distantly at the ocean. Cas handed a square of cake wrapped in foil to his brother and took another for himself. They unwrapped the noisy aluminum and began to eat.

"So how'd it go with Dean today?" Gabriel said through a mouth full of cake.

"A lot better than I expected."

Castiel noticed a few teenagers nearby playing soccer. A blonde girl kicked at the ball aimlessly and threw her head back laughing. Each time she kicked, she either missed or kicked too far away for her friends to reach. Her friends didn't seem to care, though. They joined her in her laughter and tried to help her refine her skills. _It must be nice to have so many friends._

"So are you and him friends now?"

_Friends?_ They had resolved Dean was his boyfriend so Castiel supposed they were friends also. "Yes we are."

"That's nice. You'll have someone in the neighborhood to hang out with now." Gabriel nudged him.

There was a splash and a sudden groan of disapproval from the group nearby. "Jo, come on!" One boy grumbled.

"I didn't mean to!" She exclaimed.

Castiel saw their soccer ball floating in the water a few feet away. Playing soccer around a pier wasn't really a good idea.

"Go get it!" Some of her friends urged her toward the edge.

She frowned, slipping off her shoes. Obviously she wasn't too keen on jumping in. It was the evening and although it had been a nice hot day, it was starting to get chilly now. The water wasn't going to be too pleasant to swim in.

"Wait!" Castiel stopped her as she began to lower herself on the ledge.

He pulled his shirt over his head and some girls in the group whistled at him. Unlacing his Converse, he set them aside with his socks. When he took off his pants, the girls were giggling amongst themselves with bright red faces.

"Hey, you don't need to jump in," The blonde insisted. "I can get it."

Castiel shrugged. "I'm already undressed."

He took a few steps back and ran forward, diving into the water. The icy cold water stung on his bare skin at first but as he swam more, he didn't notice it as much. Cheers came from the pier as he grabbed the ball and swam to the slightly rusted ladder on the concrete wall. He climbed up the ladder, shivering from the cold evening air.

"You're awesome, man." The girl took the ball from him. "What's your name?"

"Cas." He replied.

She nodded. "I'm Jo."

"I should probably get you a towel." said Gabriel. "You're going to catch a cold like that." He picked up Castiel's clothes and walked toward their pickup truck.

"I'll see you around, Cas." Jo waved at him.

Castiel waved back, following his brother. "Goodbye."

The two brother got into the car and started their drive home. They were completely silent until finally Gabriel spoke up.

"That was really nice of you, you know."

Castiel brushed some wet strands of hair off his face. "I couldn't let her jump in there. It would have been freezing."

"Yeah and I'm sure it was." He turned up the heating so Cas would stop shivering.

"Sorry we had to go home so soon. It wasn't the ideal birthday party."

Gabriel shook his head with a proud smile. "It was perfect."

The sun had gone down and it was already getting very dark. The bright lights from stores reflected off of the window as Cas slouched in the wet car seat.

"When is mom coming home?" Castiel asked in a barely audible tone.

Gabriel's expression darkened. "You know I don't know that, Cas."

"She doesn't care about us, does she?"

Gabriel sighed. "She's not herself anymore, that's all. Dad's death changed her."

"That doesn't seem like a good enough excuse to abandon your children." Castiel rested his elbow on the car door.

And just like that, they were silent again. When they arrived in their driveway, Castiel picked up the plastic bag that once held the cake and got his clothes out of the back seat. Gabriel walked ahead, unlocking the door and holding it open for Cas.

"Castiel."

He stopped and looked up at his brother. Gabriel barely ever called him by his full name.

"I want you to know that blood doesn't decide who your family is. Some day you'll meet someone who will fill the gap our mother left in you heart. But, for now," He smiled. "You'll just have to do with me."

Castiel wrapped his arms around his brothers waist. "Happy Birthday, Gabriel."


	3. Chapter 3

The last time Castiel had seen Crowley was in December. There had been no formal goodbye. One day they were in school together and the next he was just gone. Castiel wasn't sure how everything had been affecting Crowley. After Alistair and Azazel's bullying began, Crowley just shut down. He was no longer the confident boy he used to be. He spoke in small fragments and whispers. So, when Castiel saw him walking down the sidewalk that night, it felt like someone had just clenched his heart in their hand.

Castiel was only out to run errands. Gabriel had sent him to the convenience store to buy some paper towels and gave him a little extra to buy something for himself. Meeting Crowley was not something he had predicted would happen.

Crowley was always a little skinny, but now he looked emaciated. There were visible hollows under his cheekbones and dark circles lined his eyes. His clothing, a tank top and jeans, hung loosely on him and seemed like they would just fall off at any time. His once carefully groomed hair was now a scruffy mess on his head. And his wrists, dear God, his wrists.

Scabs and scars laced up the inside of his arms and he wasn't even trying to hide it. He had the face of someone who had completely given up.

As Castiel crossed his path, he had no idea what to do. Would Crowley be angry to see him?

Crowley's lifeless eyes locked onto Castiel's.

"I missed you." He patted his shoulder with a bony shivering hand as he passed by.

And in what seemed like a second, he was gone, and Castiel hadn't even said a word. He stood, motionless for a moment. Guilt ran through him. Crowley had been dealing with this all this time and Castiel had been off having fun with Dean. His eyes stung from the threat of tears. A lump built up in his throat and he let out a small choking noise.

The Crowley Castiel once knew was gone. And Alistair and Azazel were to blame. _They killed him. The killed him and I'll never get him back._

He kept walking although hot tears were streaming down his face. The store was illuminated in the distance by obnoxiously brightly colored lights. He would just go get these groceries, pay for them, walked back home, and pretend this never happened.

Finally he reached the front of the shop and grabbed the metal bar of the glass door. Just as he was about to open it, he heard a girl's scream from the back of the building. Wiping his tear-stained face, he went around the side of the wall until he reached the dimly lit back of the store.

Against the cement wall, a girl from Cas' school that he recognized as Meg, was trembling and trying to push off none other than Alistair.

"Come on," He drawled, bringing himself against her. "I thought you said you liked me."

"Alistair, stop!" She yelped, struggling.

"Hey!" Castiel said, immediately regretting it when Alistair turned to him with an amused smile. "She said stop." He continued, much more quietly.

"Cassie," Alistair flashed his teeth, letting go of Meg. "So good to see you again." He moved closer and closer until Castiel was backed up against the wall.

"Leave her alone." Castiel said, his voice wavering. "She doesn't want you to-"

Alistair grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground and slammed him into the cement. "I don't need to hear what some little tranny has to say." He growled. "Now, get out of here and mind your own business."

Castiel glanced at Meg. She had her two hands clasped over her heart and seemed absolutely terrified. He had never known her to be like that. She always walked down the halls confidently, her dark hair bouncing in ringlets.

"No." Castiel replied with finality. "I'm not leaving her here with you."

Alistair let out a sickening laugh and lowered Castiel down until his sneakers hit the ground. "Fair enough." He said under his breath.

Alistair punched Castiel across the face, sending him staggering backward. He followed up with a few more punches and drove his knee into his abdomen.

Everything started spinning. Castiel struggled to keep his balance as Alistair beat him senseless. He couldn't stand any longer and stumbled onto the ground.

"Giving up already?!" He could hear Alistair shouting faintly. He kicked his stomach over and over until Castiel felt like he would start vomiting his insides.

Alistair knelt down beside him and grabbed his hair, lifting his head up.

"Mind your own fucking business." He snarled and shoved Castiel's face into the ground repeatedly.

Castiel could feel blood from his nose pouring down his mouth but there was nothing he could do. His head stung as though he had a migraine and the world hadn't stopped spinning since the first punch. As his face met the floor, his vision started fading and then, suddenly, everything went black.

**/**

Castiel's eyes fluttered open to find himself lying in a pool of blood. He coughed a few times and blood was added to the pool. Cringing, he slowly brought himself into a sitting position. He searched for Alistair but he could not be seen anywhere nearby. His eyes locked onto Meg and he let out an involuntary gasp.

Her clothes lay ripped and torn on the ground beside her and her exposed body was covered in bruises and scratches. What used to be her cell phone was smashed into pieces. Castiel winced as he crawled towards her. He raped her. That bastard raped her.

He took off his trench coat and slipped her arms into it, buttoning it at the front. There was something different about this place. It was darker.

Castiel glanced down at his watch which read "1:00am". The store had been closed for hours now so he couldn't ask them for help. And since he had left his phone at home, there was no way he could call 911.

He threw Meg's arms over his neck and hoisted her onto his back. Pain ripped through his body but he ignored it. He had to get her to the hospital. Alistair had a sick mind. He had ruined Castiel's life and had apparently destroyed Crowley's. And this poor girl would've woken up a few hours from now helplessly with no phone or clothing.

"It's alright, Meg." He muttered, almost to himself. "I'll get you some help."

The hospital was miles from here but it wasn't going to stop him. He stepped onto the sidewalk and began his journey. More blood dripped from his nose but he didn't stop to wipe it off. Every step was strained but it brought Meg closer to safety and that's all Castiel cared about at that moment. Although it had been a warm day, it was freezing now. He shivered as he stumbled down the road in only a tshirt and jeans.

No cars seemed to be out right now. Castiel lived in a small town so it would be abnormal for people to be outside this late. The path of the sidewalk seemed endless and reaching the next streetlight became his goal. Each time he reached one, it was a feeling of victory and at the same time defeat. He'd have to get to the next one.

After what seemed like hours of trudging through the night, Castiel burst through the hospital entrance, weakly falling onto the shiny tile floors. Nurses crowded around them and people gawked at the sight.

"Help her!" Castiel said, blood gurgling in his throat. "Please." He coughed, holding onto his stomach. He vomited blood, staining the shiny floor. Noise faded around him and the image of frantic nurses started to disappear. The last thing he remembered was being lifted onto a stretcher.


End file.
